Miami Heat to face a familiar foe: Indiana Pacers

The Heat now knows who will it play in the Eastern Conference finals, and it knows that opponent quite well.

The Heat and Indiana Pacers have met nine times in the past 13 months. Miami rallied from a 2-1 series deficit to beat the Pacers in six games in last year’s conference semifinals, with Chris Bosh playing only 16 minutes in that series because of an injury.

The Pacers beat the Heat in the two games in Indianapolis this season: 87-77 on Jan. 8 (behind 29 points from Paul George) and 102-89 on Feb. 1 (behind David West’s 30 points). That was the Heat’s last loss before a 27-game winning streak that ended March 27 in Chicago.

The Heat won the one meeting in Miami this season: 105-91 on March 10.

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Indiana out-rebounded the Heat by 11 rebounds per game in the three games the team’s played this season but had only a seven rebound edge in last season’s playoff series despite Bosh’s absence for most of it. The Pacers led the league in rebounds this season, while the Heat was last.

“Indiana is a bigger team, classic style basketball,” Bosh said. “They’re going to want to just throw it up off the backboard and go get it.” Game 1 is at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in Miami.

WADE UPDATE

Dwyane Wade said the extended time off before the Eastern Conference finals will not necessarily help his bruised right knee.

“I had 10 days off last time,” he said of missing Miami’s Game 4 win against Milwaukee in the first round of the playoffs. “It really doesn’t matter.”

The Heat had Saturday off but will resume practice Sunday.

“I’ve got to practice with it and play with it so I can know how I feel,” Wade said. “I’m mentally strong enough to be able to still be effective. I’m going to continue to play until my body says, ‘All right. You’ve got to go.’ ”

THIS AND THAT

Though the Heat lost Game 1 to the Bulls after a week-long layoff, Wade said there’s nothing the Heat can do differently with another lengthy break.

“I think physically we did everything we could last time,” he said. “We practiced hard, we prepared. It’s nothing you can do to prepare for game action.

Then, in a clear reference to Nate Robinson’s foul on him in Game 5 of the Bulls series, James added: “They don’t let me even get past half court these days. They just come and punch me in the face, and it’s a common foul.”

• James said there’s still another level the Heat could reach. “That’s the best thing about our team. We don’t dwell on the things we do well. We hate the things we did bad and try to get better. We will continue to rise to the occasion.”

• Teammates are amused by

Chris Andersen’s

rising popularity in South Florida.

“He’s a character of his own,” James said. “Anytime you have people off the floor who want to look like you, dress like you, have a haircut like you, means you have a great personality and a swag about you.